1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to shoulder pads worn for protection during football and other contact sports. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable cantilever for shoulder pads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When participating in contact sports such as football, athletes wear shoulder pads and other protective equipment to reduce the risk of injury. Most players aggressively use their shoulder pads to increase the force of contact when blocking, tackling or hitting the other athletes. Thus, a substantial amount of force is exerted on a player's shoulder pads while he is participating in the game.
Shoulder pads consist of a hard outer shell which generally covers the shoulders and upper body of the athlete. Padding within the rigid shell reduces the impact of forces encountered during blocking or tackling and the amount of contact between the outer shell and the upper body. During particularly aggressive hits, the padding does not offer sufficient protection and the outer shell is painfully forced against the shoulders. To provide further protection, cantilever straps often extend across the shoulders to hold the outer shell away from the player's body even during the more forceful contacts.
An increasing number of athletes are following intense training programs to improve their ability and performance. These players lift weights to fully develop their muscles while increasing their body mass and strength. Through this training the athletes attain body shapes of enlarged proportions. The trapezius muscle, when fully developed, becomes substantially enlarged. Instead of being generally horizontal, the athlete's shoulders develop a substantial slope from the top of the neck to the acromioclavicular joint. Essentially, the overly-developed trapezius muscle creates the visual impression of an athlete having no neck.
Shoulder pads are intended for athletes with the average body shape, they are not designed to accommodate the different body proportions which result from an aggressive weight training program. The arched portion of the outer shell is generally horizontally disposed. Since the surface of the shoulder has a substantial incline, the cantilever straps will not completely support the horizontal surface of the outer shell above the shoulders. During aggressive hits, a portion of the rigid shell will be painfully forced against the trapezius muscle. Thus, the effectiveness of the cantilever straps in providing protection for the shoulders from harmful impact by the outer shell is substantially reduced.
Shoulder pads which may be evenly supported above a shoulder independent of the slope of the trapezius muscle are highly desirable. Since athletes having the larger body proportions generally play at positions involving significant body contact, shoulder pads which more fully protect the shoulder and upper body by accommodating their different body shape would be particularly valuable. Since the degree of muscle development varies with the individual athlete, an adjustable cantilever support for evenly supporting the outer shell above the shoulders is especially desirable.
When supporting the outer shell above the shoulders, the cantilever straps transfer a substantial amount of the force of impact from the outer shell to the acromioclavicular joint. Many players have suffered serious injuries to the shoulder at this area during particularly forceful contacts with other players. As a result, various attempts have been made to develop cantilever straps which do not concentrate the force of impact on the acromioclavicular joint.
An example of a shoulder pad having cantilever straps designed for reducing the pressure exerted on the acromioclavicular joint is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,216 to Wingo. The central portion of the cantilever strap which covers the acromioclavicular joint has a width substantially greater than two inches. This increased width provides a larger area over which to disperse the force of impact, reducing the magnitude of force exerted on the acromioclavicular joint. The strap disclosed in Wingo protects the acromioclavicular joint by dispersing the impact over a greater area, reducing the amount of force imposed on the joint. A cantilever strap which transfers the force of impact to an area of the shoulder remote from the acromioclavicular joint would provide a greater amount of protection, and is therefore highly desirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,127,614 to Bennett discloses another example of a shoulder pad having cantilever straps particularly suitable for protecting the acromioclavicular joint. The cantilever elements include recesses shaped to provide clearance for the acromioclavicular joints and the clavicle bones, providing protection from impact. The cantilever strap covers the shoulder, with the strap recess isolating the acromioclavicular joint from the force of impact, preventing injury to the shoulder. While the strap taught by Bennett does provide significant protection for the shoulder, there remains the risk of impact between the walls of the recess and the acromioclavicular joint when a substantial force is exerted on the outer shell. A shoulder pad having a cantilever strap which more completely isolates the acromioclavicular joint from the force of impact would be particularly useful.
Other methods have been deployed for reducing the force of impact on the shoulder by the cantilever strap. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,017,639 to Foley, springs have been attached to the cantilever strap for absorbing the force of impact. Alternatively, a system of arches may be used to support the outer shell above the shoulders. Examples of shoulder pads having cantilever arch systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,905 to LaPorta and U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,814 to Mitchell et al. With both the spring and arch systems, the cantilever support absorbs a portion of the force of impact. In the truss arch system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,253 to Mitchell et al. the force of impact is dispersed across the shoulders. The cantilever support protects the shoulders from injury, however the force of impact may not sufficiently absorb or disperse the force of impact. Shoulder pads having a cantilever support which transfers the force of impact to an area of the shoulder which is remote from the acromioclavicular joint, thereby providing a greater degree of protection, is especially desirable.
The cantilever supports available in the prior art are designed for players having the average body shape, not for the athletes with overly-developed muscles. Since the cantilever straps do not evenly support the outer shell above a shoulder having a sloped surface, the effectiveness of the cantilever straps in protecting the acromioclavicular joint from injury is substantially reduced. Thus, a cantilever support for shoulder pads which will evenly support the outer shell above a sloped shoulder surface while protecting the acromioclavicular joint from injury would be particularly valuable.